


Hope Will Be Mine

by pianogf



Category: Heaven Will Be Mine (Visual Novel), New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/F, M/M, haiji is a bitch hes only there bcuz i needed a divison leader, he sucks hes awful no one in the holy salv society likes him, maki and tenko are trans also im just going 2 make that clear rn, saimota is a background pairing but its there for sure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pianogf/pseuds/pianogf
Summary: Kaede is aware that she’s not the best pilot among Hope’s Peak’s talented fleet. Although she obviously possesses remarkable potential and mental strength to be recognized as proficient to join the ranks of Hope’s Peaks pilots, she knows well that she isn’t their best, and that they would far prefer to select someone else to pilot their precious new ship project. That will not stop her. She promises to become a hero to humanity, and to prove wrong those who have doubted her. But will she maintain these ideals, or will her encounter with the ace pilots of the other enemy divisions show her a different light? Heaven Will Be Mine AU.





	1. DAY 1, DEFENSIVE OFFENSIVE: Akamatsu & Harukawa First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> hello! i havent posted to ao3 in over a month but i promise im not dead and i will continue TDTYDK when i feel the motivation for it come around again. but recently i havent been able to get the idea for this au out of my head and although i doubt it will garner much attention due to the lack of popularity surrounding Heaven Will Be Mine, i wanted to do it anyway and i had a lot of fun creating this first chapter. 
> 
> this is largely experimental; keep in mind i am NOT worst girls games so my writing prose does not reach the level of depth that theres does. this is just a labor of love, made for fun. i hope you will still be able to enjoy it, even if it isn't on par with the source that inspired it!

Kaede is aware that she’s not the best pilot among Hope’s Peak’s talented fleet. Although she obviously possesses remarkable potential and mental strength to be recognized as proficient to join the ranks of Hope’s Peaks pilots, she knows well that she isn’t their best, and that they would far prefer to select someone else to pilot their precious new ship project. She knows because an attempt was made to remove her, but it was for naught. 

 

Eukelade synced with Kaede near immediately, and it simply would not allow anyone but the blonde to pilot it. Kaede could not be more honored, and she’s happy about it even if it’s difficult at times when her higher-ups express clear passive aggression when testing her, when they tend to speak about how they would’ve preferred one of their more equipped pilots to handle Eukelade. It’s easy to acknowledge, easy to push on with relentless optimism, because that's how Kaede is and how she always hopes to be. She doesn't have time to be bitter about not being prioritized, but she does have time to prove to her commanders that she’s the right choice to pilot Eukelade, with additional reassurance from the ship-self that they are meant to be one, that even if there are doubts in the minds of others that within the cockpit of this mechanical titan is where she belongs. 

 

And this first mission will be where she demonstrates her resolve. She's energetic, wiggling in her seat every so often to expel some of that energy. She anticipates the comm call with her mission instructions whilst she settles on the launch dock, tingling with the desire to do something of relevance, something that will bring happiness to the people she works with and cares for. 

 

In truth, she shouldn't be happy at all given the situation. The mission in question is the result of a shattered truce that the three divisions of space made a month or so prior. Hope’s Peak had gone and constructed an entirely new ship-self, a weapon of war, and violated a peaceful agreement between itself, the Future Foundation, and the Holy Salvation Society. She doesn't know why Hope’s Peak would voluntarily do something like that, but she has blind faith, and decides that the division leaders know better than she does what's good for them.

 

Kaede stiffens up, breath hitching when the call signal sound rings throughout Eukelade, and she has to stop herself from squealing when she hears Shuichi’s hesitant voice emit from the speakers.

 

“Hey, wow, uh-! We haven't spoken like. Audibly...for a while, huh…?”

 

Shuichi, her best friend since the academy, is her co-comm, and she is ecstatic. She hasn’t heard his voice since synchronizing. 

 

**_“SHUICHI! OH MY GOD!”_ **

 

“Haha, hi to you, too, Kaede.”

 

“HI!”

 

“Hi! Look, I know you're really excited; I am, too, but we’re kind of pressed for time here.” 

 

“Of  _ course _ i’m excited! No one even told me you would be my guide!”

 

They share laughter with one another for a second, and Kaede squirms in her seat, unable to contain her delight, but perks up a moment later, fists pumped.

 

“But, you’re right! We've got a mission to do and something to prove!” 

 

“Do we? Either way, start heading south.” 

 

Kaede wastes little time in kicking herself into gear, and Eukelade unfurls. It stretches its limbs, the stark white of its smooth, rounded body gleaming amongst the stars, arcane rings encircling sections of its limbs glowing. It takes her a few moments to adjust; she hasn't been given this much free range before and it's a tiny bit overwhelming, but it's not the bad kind that’d make Kaede even think about backing out. It's the beautiful kind, the stunningly unreal kind that Kaede can hardly believe she's experiencing for a few moments.

 

 

 

“...Kaede?”

 

“We do!” She answers, abrupt and late, having to be snapped out of her stupor. “Or at least, I do. I mean, I want to say we, but I dunno; isn’t there anything you want to prove to the rest of Hope’s Peak?”

 

There's silence for a few moments, and Kaede can assume by the fact that Shuichi doesn't hum in thought that he's hesitant on answering that as opposed to needing to wonder. 

 

“I...know you do. You don’t talk about it, but I know you don’t like being looked down on the way we are either.” Eukelade twists through scattered stardust, graceful, cruising steadily towards its destination. Kaede’s tone becomes far more sincere. “It...really, really sucks. I don’t think we’re better than anyone, but I don’t think we deserve to be treated kinda like we’re not worthy of doing important things. That’s what we joined with Hope’s Peak for.”

 

“One successful mission won’t be enough to turn their opinions around, Kaede.” Shuichi finally responds, and Eukelade picks up speed, eager to reach the lab, eager to disprove the pessimism her dear friend meets her with. 

 

“But it’s a starting point! An opportunity! So we need to give it our all!” She retorts, earning back her auspicious attitude as quickly as she loses it. “And we’re like, an unstoppable duo, don’t you think? We can do this!” 

 

Shuichi pushes down the urge to fight back against Kaede’s brimming positivity; he can feel the physical force of her words from his station on the main carrier vessel, amplified by her synchronization with her ship-self. He has to relent, has to put his faith in the person he so admires. But amidst that faith is fear, fear that Kaede will get ahead of herself and cause herself needless pain. Yes, he wants to impress their peers. Yes, he wants to be recognized for his potential. But none of that comes before Kaede’s safety, and he sometimes wishes she would hold those same ideals of his for herself.

 

“Just. Please. Promise me you’ll try your best not to get hurt…? Not badly, at least. No doubt will Eukelade have scratches after this, I mean, we’re talking about defending an important building that the Holy Salvation Society would be more than happy to get rid of…Their main goal was to take down Eukelade, to be honest, but they’re going to have some difficulty doing that now that it’s released and fit with a pilot.”

 

“So  _ that’s  _ who we’re up against…” 

 

“It’s nothing to play around with, either, so you need to promise me, okay? Destroying the lab could seriously set back our progress, so they’re gonna send their best to take care of it...We’re supposed to be getting back-up out to you soon, but I think this is also Division Leader Kirigiri testing us.” 

 

The machine’s speed decreases ever so slightly, troubled by the heavy weight of Kaede’s next thoughts. If they’re sending their best, that can only mean what she thinks it means; coming face to face with old friends turned enemies. Not everyone from the academy ended up with Hope’s Peak, that was for sure. And if Jin Kirigiri is truly testing her, then she has to give it her all, doesn’t she? She hesitates as she reaches the surface of the minor moon on which the laboratory was built, and its somewhat unnerving to see it so empty. The workers have obviously fled to the carrier for shelter from the incoming assault, but it’s still so eery. 

 

“...I promise.” She idly assures, spending several moments too long in her pondering as evidenced by the fact that a ray shot of light very nearly strikes Eukelade’s side, but just barely misses and blows the dusty surface beside it to bits.

 

“Stay alert!” Shuichi informs, urgency in his voice, and Kaede is quick to obey, forcing her senses to cooperate and getting to what she’s been waiting to do since pilot school. 

 

She’s a natural, her fighting prowess while in use of the ship is unexpected, impeccable; she’s able to handle a fairly large fleet of goons sent from the Holy Salvation Society. Much of it can be attributed to the genius design that her machine is. It’s dangerous, possessing the speed, strength, and durability to take care of more than one lesser model of ship-self while still coming out of it untouched. Kaede feels adrenaline pumping through her veins, and for a while, she feels invincible. 

 

She’s a whole new existence inside of this grand and lethal vessel, no longer the sweet, careful little pilot girl she was seen as by her fellow division members. Kaede doesn’t like to hurt people. She doesn’t enjoy bringing others pain, she would rather see the smiles of others than the frowns and the blood and the tears she’s witnessed.

 

But she must admit, with such colossal strength at her disposal, there’s a certain corrupted excitement building in her chest. 

 

She’s beaten back enough of the fleet soon that retreat begins, but she knows, as Shuichi reminds her, that it isn’t going to be that easy, that the battle is far from over. She’s fine with this; her experiences handling battle so far are more than enough to boost her confidence and she’s prepared for what’s to come. Or, she thinks she is at least.

 

“You’re doing really great so far,” He encourages, hoping his own cheering on will be able to boost his friend a little higher. “Don’t let down your guard, though, okay? I haven’t picked up anything else just yet, but there’s no way they’re finished.” 

 

Kaede doesn’t reply, poised where she stands, Eukelade’s head slowly rotating, allowing her to scan her surroundings. Her ship becomes louder and louder as lack of activity progresses, its senses picking up an inordinate presence that soon creeps up on the blonde’s body, rattling her nerves and causing her to gasp out, unfamiliar with such a terrifying sense of looming menace. But whatever lurks, Kaede would not back down. 

 

“Oh, oh no,” She can hear the boy murmuring through the communication channel, and it only makes her feel worse. “Kaede, listen to me. You have to go. Now.” 

 

“What?”

 

“You  _ have _ to go.”

 

“If I go now, the lab will get wrecked! What’s wrong, tell me what’s going on!”

 

“The lab isn’t a priority,  _ you _ are. You’re not going to gain anything from fighting here, and reinforcements won’t arrive quick enough to help out significantly!” 

 

“...Are these orders from you or from Kirigiri?” 

 

“I--! From me, but that doesn’t-”

 

“I’m not going until I finish the job.” 

 

“What? No, stop, don’t talk like that. You just promised me you’d keep yourself safe!”

 

“I will! Just trust me! How long until reinforcements get here?”

 

“Ten minutes, you can’t last against her for-”

 

“Shuichi.”

 

“--Kaede?”

 

“Watch me.”

 

A pretty unsatisfactory way of starting off their first mission, but Kaede thinks it just can't be helped. She doesn’t have the strength to cut off contact with Shuichi, but she can willfully ignore his pleas, and he’ll hopefully stop when he realizes she’s too stubborn to abandon her mission. She relies on Eukelade to alert her, and it responds as generously as ever, drawing her toward the mortal danger, allowing her in on the special awareness her machine is capable of. The closer she comes, the more she panics, and somewhere along the line she can no longer tell if it’s her or her ship that’s afraid. They might as well be one in the same.

 

Just when she thinks she can see the threat is when it decides to strike, and Eukelade is lucky, once again just barely avoiding a direct blow, but only barely. Kaede briefly jolts in her seat, feeling a blade drag past her hip, past the hip of her ship, leaving a thin, but still painful scratch in its wake. She doesn’t expect to feel it, but god does she ever, and god is it hard to keep calm when faced with it. Even if it could have been so much worse.

 

Her mind starts racing in that moment, but she has to push herself, swallow her worries now that she’s pulled the threat out into the open. Eukelade turns sharply, only to be faced with the same blade that had just cut into her pointing straight at her head, and the entity that owned it.

 

Hyperion is sharp. A bloody crimson shade, its frame is lithe, and it could perhaps even be considered small for a ship-self, but still manages to be sinister in comparison to Eukelade. The other ship-self’s presence feels bigger, even if it isn’t significantly larger than her own. Interference in the communications channel only deepens the pit in Kaede’s stomach as she stares down the weapon Hyperion possesses.

 

 

“A rookie really took down all of those other ships, but can’t react quick enough to avoid being in a situation like this? Must be luck.” There’s familiarity to that voice. Not someone she knows well, but someone she remembers hearing. 

 

“Kaede…!” She doesn’t know how long she hasn’t comprehended the words Shuichi has been saying to her, but the spell of ignorance is broken when Hyperion’s pilot cuts into the channel. “Kaede, please, you can’t fight her, you need to retreat, now! Maki is The Holy Salvation Society’s top dog, don’t you know that!?”

 

“Maki…” She utters, soft, breathy, and a tad frightful. “Maki Haru...Haru-”

 

“Harukawa.” 

 

“Y-yeah! Yeah...you...you were in the academy, too, weren’t you?” 

 

“Does that matter? It sounds like you’re stalling so that I don’t destroy you quicker.” 

 

“I-I’m just reminiscing-! I’m not...stalling.”

 

“Sure you’re not, Akamatsu.” Kaede shudders at the drop of her name. “Being moments from death is definitely the best time to carry on a casual chat with no ulterior motive.” 

 

Kaede feels her throat close up, sweat running down the side of her face. She was feeling so weightless a moment ago; but it’s all coming crashing down now. The situation seems utterly hopeless, but, at the same time, there’s an off feeling to it. Like...for instance…

 

“Then, uhm, why aren’t you just...Ending it? You’ve...got me where you want me, don’t you?” 

 

Hyperion shifts subtly, but Kaede sees it, and gulps down dryness. 

 

“I haven’t been face to face with someone from the academy outside of my division in a while. Can you blame me for being curious about one before they’re gone forever?” Maki is cold and hard to read. Kaede is just perceptive enough to pick out the hesitation weaved faintly into her words. “That being said, you’re one of the pilots I actually kind of hated.”

 

“You’re keeping me alive longer and talking to me even though you hate me?” 

 

“Hated. I wouldn’t say I don’t still retain negative feelings now or anything, but I don’t feel that as strongly as I used to. Maybe it’s more of a distaste now.”

 

“I’m…better now then I was before, then?”

 

“You ask a lot of stupid questions.” 

 

“Maybe I’m a little stupid. Why are you avoiding answers?”

 

Maki opens her mouth but can’t get another word out before yet another disruption to the communication channel comes through. Another familiar voice.

 

“Hey, Harumaki! What’s taking you so long? You know if you need back-up or something you can call me in, right? I’m just checking again to let you know!”

 

“Momota--” Maki directs her focus away, and Kaede thanks the enthusiastic boy on the other end silently for providing an opening for her. Eukelade isn’t generally faster than Hyperion, because its body is built to hold up and deliver tough blows more than it’s built for speed, but with it not on guard, even for the briefest second, Kaede is able to land a strong enough hit on the center of the offending ship’s body to put distance between them. She hears Maki grunt in frustration, and revels in the relief watching over her but makes to remain at attention with the pressure between them growing. 

 

“Momota,” the top pilot hisses. “I told you it wouldn't take long, but it took you all of three minutes to call in and bother me.”

 

“Yeah, well, I got worried! I thought it'd be done in like two seconds so I thought the other division sneak attacked or something.”

 

“You’re exaggerating my power. I’m quick with normal pilots, but not against a new ship-self like this.” 

 

Kaede tries to plan her next course of action while the other pilot bickers with her co-comm, seeking around the cockpit for the weapon’s function. Eukelade was powerful, but she was sure she couldn't fight a weaponized ship-self with just her fists. 

 

“Kaede, you _ better _ be-”

 

“How much longer until the reinforcements get here?”

 

“Five! But it doesn't matter, get out while you can!” 

 

Kaede doesn't respond, but Shuichi can’t continue to pester her since Kaito Momota catches wind of the other person in the comm-channel and gets excited.

 

“Hold up, is that Shuichi on the other end? Yo, Shuichi!! Hey, I had no idea you were with Hope’s Peak! I thought you'd go for Future Foundation or something!” 

 

“Kaito??”

 

The pair of pilots facing one another tune out of the conversation as it stops having to do with either of them. Maki thinks Kaito shouldn't be conversing so casually with an enemy, but she can't bother trying to stop him when her goal is to take down Eukelade and Hope’s Peak’s lab to prevent further threat against the Holy Salvation Society.

 

Hyperion strikes time after time again, and Eukelade blocks off each one, prepared to defend itself, shielding its frame from each jab of the blade. That isn't to say there isn't definite precision behind the blows; Kaede is just lucky enough to know how to avoid fatal damage from them when she isn't distracted. 

 

Maki is running out of time to complete this mission, and it really, unambiguously pisses her off. She increases the speed of her attacks, but in spite of that, somewhere along the line, her blade is knocked from her grip, most likely unintentionally loosened during the onslaught. The fact that what she aims to do actually works gives Kaede a small surge of confidence and allows her to be quietly smug over the success of throwing off such a renowned pilot.

 

_ “Tsk…” _

 

“Haha, uhm, are you back to hating me yet?”

 

“I want to say I do but it's hard to after that move. You’re not as bad at this as I thought.” 

 

“Oooo, was that a compliment?”

 

“Regrettably.”

 

Hyperion lunges, hoping its speed will be enough of a booster that it'll knock Eukelade down, but all it does is force it to stumble back, hands reaching forward to grab ahold of the other ship’s limbs. The plastic digits of each vessel intertwine, and arms push against each other, forceful and desperate. 

 

“I’m sure being popular in your division is...really cool,” There’s a twinge of jealousy she doesn’t mean to let slip past. “but it must be a bummer that you’re talked about so much, because now all of your enemies know you’re much less of a threat when you’re disarmed.” 

 

“Being on top isn't without consequence. People pick out your weaknesses and put them out on data networks for everyone to see. It's annoying. Me losing to you is also annoying.” 

 

“So you'll fight back until you can't anymore, right? I think that's something we have in common!”

 

“Maybe so, but we don't do it for the same reason.” Eukelade and Hyperion creak as they struggle, and Kaede seeks an upperhand to make this a little easier for herself. Any minute now. Just a little longer.

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“That's a story for another time.” 

 

“Another-?” A sharp pain shoots through her palms, and up her arms, and she withdraws Eukelade’s hands from Hyperion’s, finding red punctures through them and hardly worrying about the fact that Maki is escaping; her head is spinning just looking at the damage done. She hadn’t taken notice before to the pointed tips of Hyperion’s claws, but she’d remember them for sure, now. 

 

“Momota, back to base. We’re retreating for now.” Maki finally cuts into the ongoing background conversation between Kaito and Shuichi that Kaede has been totally numb to until attention was called back to it again. 

 

“Huh? Oh, damn, alright! Catch you later, Shuichi!” 

 

“You’re leaving??” Kaede manages, despite the awful burning sensation crawling over her limbs. She almost feels sad, like she hasn’t done well enough if Hyperion is still moving, if Maki manages to get away. She wants to pursue, but she can’t well ignore her wounds for long. 

 

“You brutalized the majority of our fleet, so we aren’t going to be able to handle both you and your back-up by ourselves. We’ll have to retry this mission another day, or abandon it altogether.” Maki states matter-of-factly. “I’m not afraid of you. But I  _ am _ smart, and I know when to stop.”

 

Kaede falls silent at her explanation, unsure of how to combat it, and overall worrying about her last claim. It doesn’t help that Shuichi has stopped speaking altogether since Kaito cut communication. 

 

“We’ll clash again either way, though,” Maki assures, and Kaede doesn’t watch her, but can feel Hyperion’s presence grow less and less intense. “And i’ll be better prepared when that time comes, so don’t underestimate me like I did to you.” 

 

Kaede can no longer speak, only listening as reinforcements finally arrive and a few bullets fire in the general direction Maki absconded. They aren't going to get her, this much she knows, and somehow that fact on top of her own lack of success in destroying Hyperion is more than enough to make her feel like she has failed.

 

Once the back-up fleet comes to realize pursuing Hyperion is futile, notice is taken to the damage administered to Eukelade, and the reinforcements issue a retreat to base so that the shipself can recover. Kaede has no choice at this point but to finally accept it that order, and she feels a sickness at knowing she has rejected the demand for such every time that Shuichi strived to make it happened. 

 

**[HOPE’S PEAK CHAT LOG #1:** **_ANXIETIES._ ** **ACCESSING…]**

 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You could've died today.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** i know i could've but that kind of comes with the line of work

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Kaede.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You know what i’m talking about, don't get sassy with me.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** i

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** okay, what did i do wrong out there

**Shuichi_Saihara:** That shouldn't even be a question! You stopped listening to my directions the second a dangerous threat appeared. You started ignoring me, ten minutes after promising me you’d be careful.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** and i was careful!

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** you wanted me to abandon the mission! what was i supposed to do? listen and let the lab get destroyed?

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Being that Kirigiri just informed me that we’re actually WITHDRAWING from the lab you just defended now, everything that happened was essentially a waste of time. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** are you serious????

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I wouldn't lie to your face.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** that's. ridiculous and i’m really upset.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** but i don't think what i did was totally useless.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You needlessly damaged Eukelade and gave the Holy Salvation Society information on the new ship-self.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** but i succeeded in defending the lab, i got actual, outside experience with eukelade...and we met some old friends.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** It doesn't make you mad that you couldn't have earned that experience somewhere that it mattered? 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** it does matter. kirigiri was watching. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You’re still stuck on making an impression.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** how do you expect me to do it otherwise?? nothing before this put me, put US on a platform. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** It’s not that I wish you'd do it some other way. Sometimes I really want you to just...give this up.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** i can’t do that. you know i can’t. i’ve wanted this since we graduated, and there's no way i’m backing down now. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I’m just. I’m scared that you really will get hurt. That you really will die. I don't know what I’d do if that happened. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** getting hurt’s just a part of life! but i won’t die. i swear i won’t. not before we’re satisfied.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Will we ever be?

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** one day, maybe.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You’re sure you want to keep doing this?

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** positive.

**Shuichi_Saihara:** ...I’ll support you like I always do, then. But you can't keep pulling what you pulled earlier if I do.

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** i’m really sorry…! next time, let's compromise instead of being all angry at each other. i really didn't mean to hurt your feelings the way i did…

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I know you didn’t, but I do appreciate the apology. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** we’re still best friends riiiiiight? 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Hmmm...I dunno. You cut me pretty deeply...

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** shuichi!!! :<

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I’m kidding, i’m kidding! Of course we’re still best friends. I don't think any amount of recklessness from you could change that, actually. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** awwww, you love me!   
**Shuichi_Saihara:** I do. Speaking of which, are you doing alright…? You seemed really freaked out over what Hyperion did to Eukelade’s hands earlier…

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** oh, yeah, yeah! haha...i just have to get used to stuff like that happening. having holes in your hands isn’t the most pleasant sensation, but i’m not invincible, so it’s bound to happen again whether i want it to or not...

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Right. Ship-selves feed their pilots sensory information. You might look like you’re protected under all of that plastic and metal, but in reality, you’re as vulnerable as ever…

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** you make it sound REALLY bad saying it that way ovo;;

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Pain is scary, it’s only natural I’d phrase it that way, haha…

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Anyway. Kirigiri said he’d relay new information soon. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** wait, that quick? its only been a few hours, hasn’t it?

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Well, we happen to have more than one division out for our heads, Kaede. We’ve briefly incapacitated one, so Kirigiri’s going to want you to take out the other, too, I’m sure…

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** two missions in the span of 24 hours! this is great!

**Shuichi_Saihara:** You say that, but, I’m sure you’re going to want to stop eventually...now that the truce is broken, I can’t see any long breaks for you in the near future. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** And now that this period of peace between us is over, too...I think Hope’s Peak will want to advance toward opening the Gravity Well as soon as possible. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** oh. oh wow. oh gosh. okay. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I’ll ask again. You’re sure about this?

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** ...yeah. i’m still sure. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** I’d tell you not to be anxious, but, I’m...honestly no better thinking about it. 

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Either way, Kaede, whatever happens...I’ve got your back. 

**Kaede_Akamatsu:** i know you do, you big dork. lets give the next however many days everything we’ve got…!!

**Shuichi_Saihara:** Yeah…!

 

**[CHANNEL CLOSED. END LOG.]**


	2. DAY 2, Unlucky Retrieval: Harukawa & Chabashira First Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize for the length of time between these! but!! thank you for those of you supporting this work!! i've gotten a bit more attention than i ever expected to, haha. please enjoy the next and future installments!!

**[HOLY SALVATION SOCIETY CHAT LOG #1: INQUIRIES. ACCESSING…]**

 

**Kaito_Momota:** heyyy uhhh harumaki   
**Maki_Harukawa:** what.

**Kaito_Momota:** got a ques for ya   
**Maki_Harukawa:** ok.

**Kaito_Momota:** so like i know u said u were havin difficulties takin down that other shipself bcuz it was new or w/e rite

**Maki_Harukawa:** yes. where is this going.

**Kaito_Momota:** i’m just confused cuz like. why did u. retreat. we couldve handled backup couldnt we. 

**Maki_Harukawa:** for the same reason. this is a pointless conversation.

**Kaito_Momota:** ok but liiiiiike

**Kaito_Momota:** u had me. and u kno me. i coulda beat back the small guys while u tore up the shipself. 

**Kaito_Momota:** so

**Kaito_Momota:** ?

**Maki_Harukawa:** trust me when i say it was just the best course of action at the time.

**Kaito_Momota:** its cuz u lost ur knife isnt it.

**Maki_Harukawa:** no.

**Kaito_Momota:** harumaaaakiiiii

**Maki_Harukawa:** maybe. 

**Kaito_Momota:** WOW. 

**Maki_Harukawa:** lacking a weapon put me at a disadvantage, disarmament is unfortunately one of hyperion’s weaknesses. 

**Kaito_Momota:** hyperion cant sleep at night w/o its special knife smh

**Maki_Harukawa:** do you wanna die now or later.

**Kaito_Momota:** NEITHER PLS I WAS JK

**Maki_Harukawa:** if you really don’t want to die, then act like it.

**Kaito_Momota:** ok ok ok can i ask another ques pls

**Maki_Harukawa:** is it a stupid question.

**Kaito_Momota:** no its important!

**Maki_Harukawa:** if its not, you’re going to regret it.

**Kaito_Momota:** ok so like back 2 the knife thing. what happened. 

**Maki_Harukawa:** the other model has a strength advantage over hyperion. hyperion’s built with speed in mind more than strength, whereas it looked like eukelade was built the opposite way. 

**Kaito_Momota:** okay ur givin me facts but are they the REAL facts

**Maki_Harukawa:** what the hell does that mean. 

**Kaito_Momota:** im JUS sayin

**Kaito_Momota:** u may have thought i was distracted catchin up with shuichi but i was listenin in on u guys 2

**Kaito_Momota:** and i mean idk correct me if im wrong but it kinda sounded like u were having fun harumaki

**Maki_Harukawa:** why does it matter so much to you how or why it happened. i made a slip up, lost a vital object to my ship-self, and now i have to go through the trouble of going back and retrieving it, whether that means returning to the moon lab or finding akamatsu and taking it back by force.

**Kaito_Momota:** ya u’d like 2 find akamatsu again wouldnt u

**Maki_Harukawa:** you really, really crave death. you do.

**Kaito_Momota:** no i just know u wont actually do anything 2 me bcuz u love me 2 much

**Maki_Harukawa:** just shut up and stop going on about things you know nothing about.

**Maki_Harukawa:** get ready, you’re going to have to come along. i can’t be ambushed the way i currently am, that’d be disgraceful. 

**Kaito_Momota:** to who, thss? we’re already hella disgraced, have u seen the prick leading us lol

**Maki_Harukawa:** i was more talking about my individual reputation, but whatever. just hurry up and come escort me.

**Kaito_Momota:** uuuuu got it, harumaki 

 

**[CHANNEL CLOSED. END LOG.]**

 

Maki is what some would consider an empty husk, though that’s really only if they haven’t gotten to know her like a very limited number of people have. She’s closed off, something of a locked door who’s key you have to shove your hand into a pile of all sorts of unpleasant, sharp things to fish out. It’s unfortunate, really. She’d make good company if not for the trauma. Trauma has also made her lack self-worth, and finding reasons to separate herself as a human or being or whatever she was from her work, from subjecting herself to acting as a pawn to her division, is difficult on her own. She has Kaito Momota to thank for helping her explore the concept, not that she hadn’t wondered about it before he came along, just that he, all of his idiocy aside, gave her the push she needed.

 

Even so, she still isn’t even sure what her own ideals are. Piloting this machine, winning battles, its all she’s known since the war, since she was told to step inside of the ship-self. Hyperion isn’t to blame, but maybe it is because she blames herself for a lot of things and it’s just as much her as any one part of her physical body, if not  _ more _ her than that body. 

 

There are plenty of pros and cons to Hyperion; it’s given Maki a lot but taken just as much. She’s sure the same can be said about any pilot with their ship-self. She isn’t any different. She shouldn’t consider herself different. She’s just here, just like anyone else, and she’s serving an unsatisfying life under a division she doesn’t know whether or not she actually cares for, and she’s just going through the motions because it’s easy and familiar and she doesn’t know what she’d do otherwise anyway.

 

 

Kaito appears to resolve her of total loneliness again. His ship-self, Koron-15 (or ‘Koronis’, as he likes to call it) is smaller than Hyperion, smaller than most ship-selves, actually. Its kind of funny, especially to Maki since she, outside of her ship-self, is shorter than Kaito. The size of the vessel doesn’t matter one bit, though, because Kaito admittedly handles it extremely well and puts it to good use. It’s agile and can hit hard in all the right ways. It’s body has angles like Hyperion’s, but it’s bulkier. He’s more than happy with it; he’s called himself a shooting star while piloting, and the enthusiasm is likely coming from his affinity for space. How lucky of him that he’s among his passion at all times, that he  _ has _ a passion. 

 

“All set to go!” His voice fizzles into the comm channel, and she gets moving instantly.

 

She’s hoping the blade is still on the moon. Otherwise, she’ll have to wait until she can conveniently get Hope’s Peak’s little rookie pilot alone again. It takes them a bit, but where she’s bad at navigating, Kaito excels.

 

She feels relief sweep over when there’s a pull developing the closer she comes to the moon. The knife was built as apart of Hyperion, so naturally, its drawn to the blade, and it aches for the piece that was knocked away from it, even if only for such a brief period of time. Great, she thinks. This won’t take long at all.

 

Or it wouldn’t were it not for the new pressure in the air that was more than telling Maki that she wasn’t allowed to have anything easy ever.

 

“Whoever you are, stay back,” She warns, quickening Hyperion’s pace to find it’s lost piece. Just when she thinks she’s close, of course she’s really not. It’s a cruel trick. “I’m not going to destroy the lab, I’m only here to retrieve something I need.” 

 

“Sorry, Tenko has no intention of letting that happen!” The next person to connect to the comm-channel is easy to recognize by her tendency to speak in first person, and the fact that her whole personality is unfortunately difficult for Maki to forget. Another classmate from the pilot academy, another one she probably would’ve been better off not seeing again, but lo and behold. “It's true that the lab is Tenko’s priority, but it’d be stupid of her to ignore an open target!”

 

Sappho’s hands appear out of nowhere, and the rest of its body follows, digits clasping around the discarded blade and holding it up tauntingly. Maki has to hold back a growl of annoyance. 

 

“You have two enemies in front of you. You’d prefer to risk the damage instead of going about this peacefully?”

 

“Oh, no, trust Tenko when she says peace is her preferred method of dealing with things! Especially when it comes to girls. But now that the truce between the divisions is null, The Future Foundation can’t afford to hold back.” 

 

 

Sappho is much like Eukelade in that it's a tank, but more balanced. It can move agilely, and wherever it goes it leaves behind two long trails of light from its head; a purely aesthetic feature that Maki might be able to use to her advantage. 

 

Her aim isn’t to fight; maybe she can go as far as brief incapacitation, but otherwise, she just wants Hyperion’s blade back, and then she’s out of here. This sort of situation is precisely why Hyperion’s speed-over-strength comes in handy. 

 

“Sit back, Momota.”

 

“Wha--really?? You sure??”

 

“When am I not?”

 

He relents at that but doesn't travel too far a distance from where Sappho and Hyperion stand across from one another. 

 

“You just threatened Tenko with that male and then instantly told him not to get involved?? You're really sending some mixed signals, Maki.” 

 

“What's not to understand? If you want to fight, that's your problem. I have no obligation to participate.”

 

“Ohhhh, Tenko sees where you're going with this…” Hyperion takes the first lunge and Sappho forces it back the moment it gets too close for comfort. It's pointed tip legs screech as it skids back, remaining grounded and using that momentum build up to curve around and take aim at the rear. She’s fast enough to land a hit and Sappho stumbles, but regains her balance fast, whipping around to fend off more of Hyperion’s strikes. 

 

“Your ship’s from the Cold War and all, so it having disadvantages like this isn't surprising at all. It's actually kind of funny, watching you come for it so desperately! 

 

“Wouldn't you be desperate to keep every little piece of yourself if you were one of the only things you had?”

 

“No, no, Tenko understands. Tenko thinks that's probably why it's so funny to her. It's familiar.”

 

There’s a few more brief moments of struggle and Hyperion seeks an opening, impatient, anxious. It can't stand this, can't stand being apart from the thing that makes it strong, and Maki feels that deep in the foundation of her being. 

 

An opening makes itself known. Maki is fast and can go for it first, and before either of them know it, Sappho is face down beneath Hyperion, its arm wrenched back behind itself and held firmly there. 

 

“Finally.” Maki sighs. “I win. Hand it back.”

 

“Haha...Tenko didn't expect you to be able to knock her over like this…” No motion was made to return the knife. “And here Tenko was thinking you might just go down easy without your weapon…”

 

“Give it back.” 

 

“You're still as incredible at this as ever. Even when you were younger, back in the academy…”

 

“Stop acting like you know me.”

 

“But Tenko  _ does _ know you. You can't act like nothing happened all those years ago.”

 

“I can. It's healthier for me not to, maybe, but I can. And I will. It's just easier that way.”

 

Sappho’s fingers loosen up and the blade slips through them. Hyperion releases the other ship and snatches back her knife, and she's finally able to breathe with it  back in her hold. Familiar. Safer.

 

“We’re enemies. We can't afford to hold onto past attachments.” 

 

“We don't have to be enemies. None of us have to be enemies.” 

 

“Yes, we do, and it's utterly absurd to even think that despite the paths we’ve chose that we could be anything more than that.” 

 

“We can. It'd be like before.”

 

Maki freezes up at that, and before she knows it her mouth is dry and she doesn't want to say another word. All she can think is  _ ‘it's not the same’ _ , and Tenko can hear it but she chooses not to say anything. 

 

Hyperion’s clawtips drag lightly over Sappho’s wrist, harmless, so unlike that of which Maki has grown so accustomed to doing with this machine. Tenko can feel it, and it reminds her of things she wishes she still had. She feels like crying, and she does, but Maki doesn't need to know that, even if the sort of sorrow she emits is too powerful for Maki not to pick up on. 

 

“...Tenko isn’t going to give up on you.” The pilot manages, and Maki regrets displaying even the most subtle signs of weakness, regrets losing her cool to dwell on some stupid thing (even though its not stupid) that doesn’t matter anymore (even though it does). Tenko will take it as a sign to press on, and Maki won’t know what to do if the other girl keeps trying to shatter walls between them that she took care in raising over the course of her time as a pilot.

 

The departure is bittersweet. Hyperion releases Sappho and Sappho springs back up, and it’s obvious that Tenko is very much considering pursuing Hyperion as it shoots off of the moon lab, and Koron-15 follows suit. But she doesn’t, and maybe that’s fine, because she knows they’ll meet again. She knows she’ll have other chances to change Maki’s mind. 


End file.
